Method and apparatus for the adhesive joining of braids for braided rugs



Feb. 28, 1967 F. A. EGERT 3,305,799

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE ADHESIVE JOINING OF BRAIDS FOR BRAIDED RUGS Filed July 29, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet l 54 V VALVE 97 CONTROL 1 Q D 1 95 4/" 001 1' REDLE INVENTORA FRANCIS A. EGERT ATTORNEV Feb. 28, 1967 F. A. EGERT 3,306,799

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE ADHESIVE JOINING OF BRAIDS FOR BRAIDED RUGS Filed July 29, 1963 5 eets-5heet :3

BY FRANQS EGERT 9 y A i Feb. 28, 1967 F. A. EGERT METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR THE ADHESIVE JOINING OF BRAIDS FOR BRAIDED BUGS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed July 29, 1963 will 7 IIUVEIUTOR FRANcas EGERT E5 W WQTTORNE United States Patent Pennsylvania Filed July 29, 1963, Ser. No. 298,192 7 (Claims. (Cl. 156-604) This invention relates to braided rugs and to an improved method and improved apparatus for the adhesive joining of the braids.

Kalbach Patent No. 2,757,110 relates to a braided rug and a method of making the same wherein the adjacent braids are secured to each other by an adhesive rather than by the customary zig zag stitching associated with such rugs.

An object of this invention is to expedite the production of adhesively joined braided rugs.

In this invention a presser foot device is provided for properly positioning the braids to be adhesively joined to each other. The presser foot device positions the braids and jointly with a nozzle helps define a space intowhich an adhesive is emitted. The braid portions receiving the adhesive are urged into abutment with each other by the presser foot device as soon as they pass the nozzle and the central presser foot.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention, the principles of the invention, and the best modes in which it is contemplated applying such principles will more fully appear from the following description and accompanying drawings in illustration thereof.

In the drawings,

FIG. 1 is an elevation view of a machine and apparatus incorporating this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view taken along the line 22 in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are top views taken along the lines 3-3 and 4--4 in FIG. 11;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 55 in FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged top view of the nozzle used to emit the adhesive;

FIG. 7 is an enlarged elevation view, partly in section, taken along the line 77 in FIG. 3 and showing part of the apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1;

FIGS. 8 and 9 are sectional views taken along the lines 88 and 9-9, respectively, in FIG. 3;

FIG. 10 is an enlarged view of the lowermost portion of FIG. 7;

FIG. 11 is a sectional view, partly in elevation, taken along the line 1111 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 12 is a plan view of a braided rug embodying this invention; and

FIG. 13 is a fragmentary view, similar to FIG. 11, but illustrating a modification of this invention.

Referring to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a machine 10 mounted on a table 12, the machine 10 having a head element 14 from which extends a presser foot bar 16. The machine 10 is a modified sewing machine and the head 14 includes a spring (not illustrated) for biasing the presser foot bar 16 and the presser foot device 20 downwardly toward the braids 21 and 22 when the presser foot bar 16 is in its lower position, as illustrated in FIG. 7.

The presser foot device 20 is a modification of the presser foot device illustrated in another copending application, Serial No. 267,285 filed March 22, 1963, now US. Patent No. 3,195,486, and will be only briefly described herein with emphasis being placed on the distinguishing features.

Similarly, a guide mechanism or apparatus 25 is provided which is a modification of that described in the aforementioned copending patent application and will be briefly described herein with emphasis placed on the distinguishing features.

The braids 21 and 22 are joined together by an adhesive, preferably of the thermoplastic type, emitted through a nozzle 28 having an elongated, elliptic-like orifice 30, FIG. 6. The nozzle 28 is connected to a post 31 having a valve 32, the post 31 being connected to an adhesive melting and output device 34 which is supplied with solid adhesive in the form of an elongated cord-like strip 35 from a supply reel 37.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1, 4, 7, 10 and ll,.the upper portion of the nozzle 28 extends above the surface of the table 12 and is formed into an elongated, elliptic-like shape, the upper extremity of which forms the elongated orifice 30. The sides 29 of the nozzle 28 are curved or concave in shape to receive portions of the braids 21 and 22 and the latter are biased by presser feet 42 and 43 into contact with these opposite nozzle sides and toward each other, the longitudinal axis of the braids being aligned and parallel, in the vicinity of the nozzle 28, with the longitudinal axis of the elongated orifice 30.

Disposed above the nozzle 28 and longitudinally aligned therewith is a central presser foot'40 forming part of the presser foot device 20. The central presser foot 40 includes a plate 33 defining bearing surfaces 38 and a central protruding rib 41 longitudinally aligned with the orifice 30 but spaced thereabove, as illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 10, to form an elongated space 39 (bounded on the sides by the braids) into which is emitted the adhesive. The bearing surfaces 38 are on opposite sides of the rib 41 and are curved or concave in shape to receive other portions of the braids 21 and 22, as illustrated, and jointly with the inclined bearing surfaces 48 and 49, of the presser feet 42 and 43, respectively, bias the braids against the sides 29 of the nozzle 28 and downwardly against the force of the feed dog 45 which move the braids past the nozzle 28 during the adhesive joining or bonding of the braids.

The melting and output device 34 is illustrated in the drawings primarily diagrammatically, as the invention claimed herein does not lie in the device 34 per se. However, the melting and output device does include, in the preferred embodiment, electrical heaters for heating the cord-like adhesive to a highly flowable, plastic state and electro-mechanical means for taking in the cord-like adhesive and controlling the output rate of the heated, flowable, plastic adhesive by varying the input of adhesive thereto.

The rate of adhesive output is controlled so that a quantity is extruded and emitted through the orifice 30 in an elongated pattern (due to the shape of the orifice 30) and this quantity is sufficient only to be placed on, and join or bond the braids at, a medial location or Zone spaced from the upper and lower bearing surfaces of the rug, the rate of emission being proportioned relative to the speed movement of the braids past the nozzle to accomplish this purpose.

The presser foot device 20 comprises the. aforementioned presser feet 42 and 43, which aredisposed on an acute angle to each other in the general shape of a V, as illustrated in FIG. 7, the presser feet 42 and 43 being linearly movable and the presser feet 42 and 43 extending downwardly about the same distance. The bearing surfaces 48 and 49 of the presser feet 42 and 43.are of V shape and bear down upon the two solid core parts of the braids illustrated, the braids illustrated having upstanding tufts disposed on the left between the presser foot 42 and the central presser foot 49 and on the right between the central presser foot 40 and the presser foot 43. The presser feet 42 and 43 are carried by a supporting plate 50 and are movable from an upper position out of engage- 3 ment with the braids to a lower position in which they engage the braids. The feet 42 and 43 extend to the left and right, respectively, of nozzle 28, surfaces 38, and rib 41, whereby after passing them the braids are urged toward each other.

The guide mechanism is used to guide the braids 21 and 22 toward the nozzle 28 and the central presser foot 40. The guide mechanism 25 comprises an outer sheet metal guide which in turn comprises a sloping guide 62 and a longer guide finger 63 extending to the rear of the nozzle 28, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. The sloping guide 62 and the finger 63 are inclined gradually toward the nozzle 28, as illustrated in FIG. 3, and tend to bias the outer braid 22 toward the nozzle 28. The finger 63 feeds the braid 22 toward the vertical plate 65 of a restraining device 66 which includes a horizontal restraining plate 67 disposed to the left of the nozzle 28 in FIGS. 3 and 4, the left end of the finger 63 abutting the vertical plate 65. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the vertical plate 65 and the horizontal restraining plate 67 form generally a figure 7 and the restraining device 66 is open on three sides, as viewed in FIG. 4, the left, front and right sides, to permit entry and exit of enlarging braided rug. The horizontal restraining plate 67 engages the tufts of the braids and thereby tends to minimize the upward curl of the braids that tends to take place after bonding of the braids.

The inner braid 21 is likewise guided toward the nozzle 28 but for a short distance and forward (or to the right as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4) of the sloping guide 62 by a sheet metal inner guide 68. The inner guide 68 comprises a vertical surface 69 against which the inner braid abuts and fits in sliding relation under the bulbous part 70, as illustrated in FIG. 8.

Further, the inner guide 68 comprises two sheet metal separators or fingers 72 and 73 which extend from the bulbous part to an annular shield 75 forming part of the central presser foot 40. An annular shield 75 is attached to the central plate 33 by a screw 77 at an upturned portion of the plate 33, as illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, the annular shield 75 surrounding the plate 33 but being even with the sides of the plate 33. That is, the outer, side lower surfaces of the annular shield 75 are flush with the periphery of the plate 33 at the sides thereof, as illustrated in FIG. 10, whereas the shield overhangs the plate 33, as illustrated in FIG. 11, at the front and back.

The left hand ends, as viewed in FIG. 11, of the separator fingers 72 and 73 have enough resilience to frictionally engage the right hand part of the shield 75 and maintain their proper positions even though the shield 75 may vibrate. The separator fingers 72 and 73 overlie and engage the braids 21 and 22, respectively, and guide the tufted upper braid portions to the left (separator 72) and to the right (separator 73) of the central presser foot 40. The annular shield 75 and the plate 33 (to which it is attached) have a V-shape in cross-section at the front (or right thereof as viewed in FIG. 3) andthe fingers 72 and 73 have a similar V-shape, FIG. 9, to facilitate entrance of the plate 33 and shield 75 between the fingers 72 and 73 when the plate 33 is lowered to the position illustrated in FIG. 7 from its upper position, not illustrated.

Before starting the joining operation between the braids 21 and 22, the presser feet 42 and 43 are raised to their upper positions (not illustrated) and the presser foot bar 16 is also raised (the latter also not illustrated). The various parts are proportioned so that when the presser foot bar 16 is raised the braids 21 and 22 just fit under the central presser foot 40. The presser feet 42 and 43 are then lowered manually against the upward forces of the springs which bias them upwardly and are locked in their lower positions at which time the bearing surfaces 48 and 49 of the presser feet 42 and 43 engage the braids 21 and 22 near the bottom of the tufts and the concave surfaces 38 of the central presser foot 44) are slightly spaced above the braid portions into which they are shown in contact in FIGS. 7 and 10. It is important that care be taken at this time to insure that all of the tufts of the braid 21 are disposed between the presser foot 42 and the shield 75 and that, for instance, none become disposed to the left (as viewed in FIG. 7) of the presser foot 42. Similarly, in connection with the braid 22, all of its tufts are disposed between the shield 75 and the presser foot 43 and none are disposed to the right of the presser foot 43.

Thereafter the presser foot bar 16 is released which lowers the central presser foot 40 and the presser feet 42 and 43, the spring bias on the presser foot bar 16 (due to the spring with the head of the machine 10) forcefully urging the central presser foot 40 and the presser feet 42 and 43 against the braids and resisting the upward force imposed on the braids by the conventional serrated feed dog 45 which moves the braids past the nozzle 28. The lower portions of the braids 21 and 22 which are wrapped about the cores are generally circular in cross-section. The spring force on the central presser foot 40 and the presser feet 42 and 43 deforms the lower braid portions into the shapes illustrated in FIG. 7 but the braids spring back to their original shapes after the bonding operation, i.e., after the braids move past the feet 42, 43.

While the foregoing described method and apparatus for bonding the braids proved to be satisfactory, it was desired to reduce the time that it took for the adhesive to set. FIG. 13 illustrates a modification of the invention in which a nozzle is disposed behind, to the left, of the adhesive nozzle 28 and below the braids. The nozzle 90 discharges a gas which is directed to and impinges upon the braids just next to the braid portions that are receiving adhesive from the nozzle 28, the discharge gas suddenly and rapidly cooling the portion of the braids near the zones to which the adhesive has just been applied to shock cool these braid portions and, hence, the adhesive. Such shock cooling of the adhesive results in a virtual instantaneous setting of the adhesive so that as fast as the braids pass the nozzle 28, just as fast does a completed bond take place.

In the preferred embodiment carbon dioxide is supplied, under pressure, from a supply bottle (not illustrated) to the nozzle 98 and discharged therefrom, at room temperature and atmospheric pressure. Also, the adhesive in such shock cooling is not cooled below zero degrees Fahrenheit as cooling below zero degrees might cause deleterious freezing of the adhesive.

In the preferred embodiment, the valve 32 is connected by links 92, 93 and 100 to a pivotal shaft 94 which is controlled by a foot treadle 95 through links 96 and'98. From the shaft and pivotal therewith extends a link 99 to the clutch 97 of the motor operating machine 10 and when the operator actuates the foot treadle 95 the valve 32 is opened and simultaneously the clutch 97 is engaged to activate the feed dog 45. When shock cooling is used, the valve (not illustrated) controlling the flow of cooling gas is opened before or simultaneously with the actuation of the foot treadle 95.

Having described the invention, I claim:

1. Apparatus for the adhesive joining of braided rugs comprising a nozzle disposed between the two braids to be joined, a central presser foot disposed above said nozzle, said central presser foot having a rib interfitting with the two braids to be joined to define with the nozzle 21 space to receive an adhesive to be emitted from said nozzle, and two inclined presser feet disposed on opposite sides of said central presser for biasing said braids toward each other.

2. Apparatus for the adhesive joining of braided rugs comprising a nozzle disposed between the two braids to be joined, a central presser foot disposed above said nozzle, said central presser foot having a rib interfitting with the two braids to be joined to define with the nozzle a space to receive an adhesive to be emitted from said nozzle, two inclined presser feet disposed on opposite sides of said central presser foot for biasing said braids toward each other, a valve for controlling the flow of adhesive out of said nozzle, a feed dog for moving said braids past said nozzle, a control device for jointly initiating and terminating movement of the feed dog and opening and closing said valve to control the flow of said adhesive.

3. Apparatus for the adhesive joining of braided rugs comprising a nozzle disposed between the two braids to be joined, a central presser foot disposed above said nozzle, said central presser foot having a rib interfitting with the two braids to be joined to define with the nozzle a space to receive an adhesive to be emitted from said nozzle, a restraining plate disposed rearwardly of said nozzle to minimize the upward curling of said braids after they are adhesively joined and having moved out from under said central presser foot and said inclined presser feet.

4. Improved apparatus for adhesively joining elongated braids comprising a nozzle having an elongated orifice for discharging adhesive therethrough, the lengthwise axis of said orifice being disposed parallel to the lengthwise axis of said braids, a central presser foot overlying said nozzle and having an elongated central rib fitting between said ribs and biasing said braids downwardly, and said nozzle and said rib being spaced apart to define an elongated space into which adhesive may flow.

5. The structure recited in claim 4 and further defined by said central presser foot and said nozzle both having curved side walls mating with the shape of said braids, and two inclined presser feet biasing said braids against said side walls.

6. The method of joining together the braids of a braided rug which includes placing the braids on a table in juxtaposition to each other but partially separated by an elongated nozzle and an elongated central presser foot,

emitting from said nozzle a predetermined quantity of adhesive so related to the rate of movement of the braids past the nozzle as to result in no excess adhesive coating on the braids, and setting said adhesive in its proper location between and spaced from the bearing surfaces of the rug to prevent the adhesive from running to or near parts of the braid which provide the bearing surfaces.

7. The method of joining together the braids of a braided rug which includes placing the braids on a table in juxtaposition to each other but partially separated by an elongated nozzle and an elongated central presser foot, emitting from said nozzle a predetermined quantity of adhesive so related to the rate of movement of the braids past the nozzle as to result in no excess adhesive coating on the braids, setting said adhesive in its proper location between and spaced from the bearing surfaces of the rug to prevent the adhesive from running to or near the parts of the braid which provide the bearing surfaces, biasing said braids toward each other and downwardly as they move past said nozzle, and further biasing said braids against said table after they are joined together by adhesive to minimize the upward curl of the braids as the adhesive sets.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 24,801 3/1960 Kaminsky 156306 X 2,387,631 10/1945 Weir 156498 2,464,602 3/1949 Olsen 156-499 X 2,726,632 12/1955 Asbeck et al 118410 2,954,069 9/1960 Lithio 156498 3,077,428 12/1963 Heuser et al 156311 X EARL M. BERGERT, Primary Examiner.

HAROLD ANSHER, Examiner. 

6. THE METHOD OF JOINING TOGETHER THE BRAIDS OF A BRAIDED RUG WHICH INCLUDES A PLACING THE BRAIDS ON A TABLE IN JUXTAPOSITION TO EACH OTHER BUT PARTIALLY SEPARATED BY AN ELONGATED NOZZLE AND AN ELONGATED CENTRAL PRESSER FOOT, EMITTING FROM SAID NOZZLE A PREDETERMINED QUANTITY OF ADHESIVE SO RELATIVE TO THE RATE OF MOVEMENT OF THE BRAIDS PAST THE NOZZLE AS TO RESULT IN NO EXCESS ADHESIVE COATING ON THE BRAIDS, AND SETTING SAID ADHESIVE IN IT PROPER LOCATION BETWEEN AND SPACED FROM THE BEARING SURFACES OF THE RUG TO PREVENT THE ADHESIVE FROM RUNNING TO OR NEAR PARTS OF THE BRAID WHICH PROVIDE THE BEARING SURFACES. 